team owner Ted Leonsis was unwilling to commit to what would have been a roughly $80 million, five-year contract for the high-scoring player

There’s some debate as to what the Thunder wanted from Washington in return for Harden, but rookie Bradley Beal and 2nd year wing Chris Singleton were definitely two of the parts, according to the Washington Post.

Washington, the worst team in the NBA at 3-15, could have had a titillating backcourt of John Wall (when he returns from injury) and Harden. Last night, they started Jordan Crawford and Beal (35 percent FGs, 31 percent from three) in New Orleans.

James Harden is currently 5th in the NBA in scoring (24.7 ppg).

Given that Oklahoma City got Kevin Martin and promising Jeremy Lamb (currently in the D-League) in return for Harden, I think the Thunder made the right decision (though I like Singleton as a solid reserve).